CPU Physical Design Engineer - Staff

European Tech Recruit; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

European Tech Recruit is seeking a Server CPU Physical Design Engineer (Senior/Staff) to join the Cambridge team onsite. You will own and contribute to CPU block implementation from RTL to GDS, drive timing closure, and optimize high-performance, power-efficient CPU designs for server-class platforms.

You will collaborate with RTL, architecture, CAD, and post-silicon teams to improve design quality and product performance.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in physical design implementation from RTL to GDS.
• Proficiency with static timing analysis and timing closure methodologies.
• Hands-on experience with industry-standard EDA tools for synthesis, place and route, STA, power analysis, physical verification, and signoff.

Responsibilities

• Own or contribute to CPU block implementation from RTL/netlist to GDS, including synthesis, floorplanning, power planning, placement, CTS, routing, and signoff.
• Drive timing closure and physical implementation convergence across multiple modes, corners, and operating conditions.
• Work on high-performance, low-power CPU designs with demanding performance, power, and area targets.
• Debug and resolve complex implementation issues related to timing, congestion, clocking, routing, IR drop, power integrity, EM, ECO closure, DRC/LVS, and physical verification.
• Collaborate closely with RTL, architecture, circuits, CAD, SoC, and post-silicon teams to improve design quality, implementation efficiency, and product performance.
• Evaluate and contribute to the design process from concept through productization, including architecture definition, feasibility analysis, pre-silicon design and verification, and post-silicon validation.
• Develop and enhance physical design flows, automation, and methodologies to improve productivity and quality of results.
• Use data-driven analysis to identify implementation bottlenecks, improve design convergence, and push PPA beyond standard targets.
• For Staff-level candidates, provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, define implementation strategies, and drive closure of critical CPU blocks or methodology initiatives.

Skills

Physical design

Synthesis

Floorplanning

Timing closure

Power integrity

Clock tree synthesis

EDA tools

Scripting (Python/TCL)

Debugging complex issues

Tools

Genus

Innovus

Fusion Compiler

PrimeTime

Tempus

Voltus

RedHawk

Conformal

Job description

Server CPU Physical Design Engineer, Senior/Staff level - Onsite - Cambridge

We are seeking talented Physical Design Engineers to join the CPU team in Cambridge, UK. The team is developing next-generation, high-performance, power-efficient custom CPU cores for advanced compute and server-class platforms that will help transform the industry.

This position is open from Senior Engineer through Staff Engineer level, with responsibilities, ownership, and technical leadership scaled according to experience.

Key Responsibilities will include:

• Own or contribute to CPU block implementation from RTL/netlist to GDS, including synthesis, floorplanning, power planning, placement, clock tree synthesis, routing, optimization, ECOs, and signoff.
• Drive timing closure and physical implementation convergence across multiple modes, corners, and operating conditions.
• Work on high-performance, low-power CPU designs with demanding performance, power, and area targets.
• Debug and resolve complex implementation issues related to timing, congestion, clocking, routing, IR drop, power integrity, EM, ECO closure, DRC/LVS, and physical verification.
• Collaborate closely with RTL, architecture, circuits, CAD, SoC, and post-silicon teams to improve design quality, implementation efficiency, and product performance.
• Evaluate and contribute to the design process from concept through productization, including architecture definition, feasibility analysis, pre-silicon design and verification, and post-silicon validation.
• Develop and enhance physical design flows, automation, and methodologies to improve productivity and quality of results.
• Use data-driven analysis to identify implementation bottlenecks, improve design convergence, and push PPA beyond standard targets.
• For Staff-level candidates, provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, define implementation strategies, and drive closure of critical CPU blocks or methodology initiatives.

Required Skills and Experience

• Strong experience in physical design implementation, including synthesis, floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing, timing closure, ECOs, and signoff.
• Strong understanding of static timing analysis and timing closure methodologies, including trade-offs between timing, power, area, congestion, and routability.
• Knowledge of high-performance and low-power implementation techniques.
• Hands-on experience with industry-standard EDA tools for synthesis, place and route, STA, power analysis, physical verification, and signoff, such as Genus, Innovus, Fusion Compiler, PrimeTime, Tempus, Voltus, RedHawk, Conformal, or equivalent tools.
• Ability to debug complex physical design issues across timing, congestion, clocking, routing, power, and verification domains.
• Scripting and automation experience using one or more of TCL, Python, or Perl.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a global, cross-functional engineering environment.